Original hemi dart information

[Paul Ceasrine]

Paul here,

I'm originally from the Mahopac, NY area, and spent pretty much every Sunday at Dover Drag Strip from 68' thru 75'. (Track closed in May 76').
We raced our Cuda's there. Also, good friends with Lou Vignogna.
He lived about a mile away from us. He spent many nights at our house helping my father work on his Cuda. Also, hung out at my fathers garage
"West Road Amoco" in Carmel, a racers haven from 67' thru 70'.
And later the machine shop, "Valley Motors" in Jefferson Valley, NY
from 71' thru 95'. So I know Lou, late wife Chrissie, brothers Ray and
Jerry "Super Scissors". (The damn guy even cut my hair for a while).
As for the Castaldo car, that Daryl has. I'm not so sure. Charlie's
car (the second one) was an original SS/BA car. But it was brown, with a
goldish center section. Not red w/ sliver-white center section. I saw that car more than a few times at Dover (69' thru 71'). Even when Charlie
put a "FOR SALE" sign in the passenger side rear-side window.
Ready for this $5500. Believe it or not, he had a little difficulty selling the car. The car flew pretty good too, 10.70's. In 70' it ran SS/AA and in 71' it split between SS/AA and Pro/Stock (a couple of times). I think
Charlie may have switched up the front grille and headlight bezels to a
69' to qualify for Pro/S at the sanctioned meets. Dover, which was not
sanctioned by the NHRA allowed the rules to be bent for earlier cars that wanted to run in Pro/Stock (2-year old car rule).
As for finding the car in a basement garage in an apartment complex in Mt. Kisco, NY, well that leaves only (2) places. the Mount Kisco Arms,
a Co-op, and another place. I knew that area, and as a Mopar-Nut, I never heard of any Hemi Super Stock car just laying around.

Paul

[Bobby Zlatkin]

In May 1970 I was at Arlen Vanke's shop in Akron, Ohio and took a bunch of pictures of the cars there (his 1st. pro stock Duster, his '68 Cuda, both painted yellow & black and a couple of the '67 Hemi Belvederes SS/DA cars).

If anyone knows how to get in touch with him I would love to send him these pictures before we both die and my kids just throw them out. I know he will enjoy them.

[Paul Ceasrine]

Bobby Z,

If you want to get in touch with Akron Arlon vanke, you can try
Geoff Stunkard at Muscle Car Review (a contributor to the magazine).
Or try Le Hodge, at Hodge Restorations, located in Inman, South Carolina.
He was the Guru who recently restored Arlen's second Barracuda,
which he bought in 69' and sold later that year. The car was painted light blue with a darh blue center section. The nose was white with a dark blue center section. On the door panel, it was lettered Arlon Vanke with
JEGS underneath his name.
The first Cuda, that won the 68' U.S Nationals S/S Eliminator was sold
in late 69', and turned into a Pro/Stock car for 1970. It is no longer with us, as it burned to Hemi-Dust in a fire.

Oh! Please don't die. The kids will sell everything, and what isn't sold
will end up on E-Bay
Paul C

[quickford1]

Bill Flynn out West Haven ,CT. had a red and silver Dart. The name of it was the Yankee Peddler. Bill has pass away but this could be the car.
Rich

[Paul Ceasrine]

Rich,
No on the "Yankee Peddler", that car is already accounted for. But yes,
Bill Flynn was out of New Haven. Ran the car only at NHRA events and
Match-races, as Bill was pretty popular, due to the 65' AWB car.
Northeast 68' Factory Hemi Super Stock cars.
Bill Flynn, "Yankee Peddler", New Haven, CT
Chuck McJury, "Playmate", Schenectady, NY
Charlie Lendrum, "Northern Skaker", Albany, NY
Chick Brignolo, "Play Thing", Norton, Mass.
Joe Pateli, "Deb's Automotive", Springfield, Mass.
Gene O'Neill, Worcester, Mass.
Joe Jill, "Speedwin Engineering Automitive", Mineola, L.I., New York
S & K Speed Shop, Long Island, New York, *( Sold to the Mutt Brothers
in Brooklyn, NY in late 68', who then raced it on the street)

Paul

New Jersey Hemi Darts next.
Also, Manhattan Speed Parts (Varick Street, NYC)
Pomona Speed Shop (Pomona, NY)
Jade Grenade (White Plains, NY)

[Alex Polewik]

Bobby,

Private Message sent with Arlen's number. He'd love to see them.

FYI,
Alex

[dragst racer]

The Yankee Peddler car was in Indiana for years and was sold a couple times after that and now has been redone.

[W J]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Rich,
No on the "Yankee Peddler", that car is already accounted for. But yes,
Bill Flynn was out of New Haven. Ran the car only at NHRA events and
Match-races, as Bill was pretty popular, due to the 65' AWB car.
Northeast 68' Factory Hemi Super Stock cars.
Bill Flynn, "Yankee Peddler", New Haven, CT
Chuck McJury, "Playmate", Schenectady, NY
Charlie Lendrum, "Northern Skaker", Albany, NY
Chick Brignolo, "Play Thing", Norton, Mass.
Joe Pateli, "Deb's Automotive", Springfield, Mass.
Gene O'Neill, Worcester, Mass.
Joe Jill, "Speedwin Engineering Automitive", Mineola, L.I., New York
S & K Speed Shop, Long Island, New York, *( Sold to the Mutt Brothers
in Brooklyn, NY in late 68', who then raced it on the street)

Paul

New Jersey Hemi Darts next.
Also, Manhattan Speed Parts (Varick Street, NYC)
Pomona Speed Shop (Pomona, NY)
Jade Grenade (White Plains, NY)

Paul, Regarding the Gene O'Neill Dart: His nephew Steve located Gene's old '65 Hemi Coronet up in Quebec, not far from the Bombardier Plant, and completely restored it--called the "Flintstone Charger". Steve is now trying to locate Gene's old Hemi Dart.....Any ideas where that car could be? Much thanks. Warren Lederer. WJ

[Bill Rolik]

Two Blasts From The Past:

I was about two years from racing personally yet in 1970 (or 71 when I took the photo), but here is a shot I took of Castaldo's car at Island. The gentleman in the photo steering is one of his crew guys, Rick Rickman, who I would later work with in the Parts Department at Spring Valley Dodge in Spring Valley, NY. Charlie Licata, and Frank Zangaro (name partialy blocked) were the balance of the crew.


Bill Rolik

SS 1514

[flintstonecharger]

Hello,was joe Pateli's car ever connected with Hamden Dodge Hemi Dart?? Bob Ramstrom, Worcester Mass. also had Hemi Dart he bought new from Mr. Norms once sponsored by Natick Dodge.Brignolo bought his car at same time when Ramstrom bought his,was told they went together to pick up both cars,what a shopping experience that must have been!I think Ed Miller may still have Ramstrom's car with 71 updated nose and tail end,,Brignolo still has his car! Pretty sure Gene O'Neill's car now owned by canadien collector Dave Mcdade,not 100% sure but very possible.I would side with the Vignogna crew on IDing Darryl's Dart regardless of the floor repair issue,there are lots of metal magicians out there that can stitch/hammerweld and finish of repairs undetectable,I am sure Tim Hennessy remembers what repairs were needed during restoration,check with him?